It's Been A While!

[Bigmallly]

................since I had a madcap idea so here goes.......................

I have this vision of being able to grow Espalier or Trellis Strawberries, the theory being that the runners are tied to wires/trellis, each runner has some compost/moss moulded round its roots & bagged in place. The bag is then fastened to the wire to support the plant..........the runner is NOT severed from the parent. I can see a few pitfalls but want to know your ideas...........Watering is obviously going to be an issue so was wondering if fed regularly, would the parent plant keep the runners going ? Hence the need for keeping them attached to the parent.............Join me outside the box & let me know if it's possible.

[Containergardener]

I obviously havnt a clue but keen to see that it works just for your own sake of achieving it

[happyhumph]

Think you would need to water them. But, how about fixing guttering or similar in rows, then as runners come along encourage them into the row below? Easier for watering & could allocate a row each year, allowing you to know the age of each plant! Then when they get to old whip out the whole top row (have the guttering on brackets you can lift) & shift guttering up a row once a year!

I'm a genius! That, or the painkillers are talking

[Bigmallly]

You mean something like this HH..............

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1465322

[Bigmallly]

I've only had the idea for about a half hour & have already given up on it............................instead, I'm gonna look into growing a wall of them in shoe bags. Starting with one plant in each top pocket & working down with the runners.............

Something on these lines:

[Containergardener]

Shoe bags didn't look that that when I was at school

[Bigmallly]

I think it's to do with "A woman can never have too many pairs of shoes"...................

[Bal]

I think it's to do with "A woman can never have too many pairs of shoes"...................

In my last job which I did for 23 years I used to go out every morning suited and booted as they say. Shoes were an absolute essential item in my wardrobe. All of them had at least a 6 inch heal in every colour I could get and every style. That's what shoe bags were invented for. Since I have gone back to clinical work I possess several Osiris of vey sensible Clark's shoes, and Welles for the garden. No shoe bags required now. OH calls me a land girl now

[Bigmallly]

I wonder if they were banded as "Balbags"............................

[Bigmallly]

I Since I have gone back to clinical work I possess several Osiris of vey sensible Clark's shoes, (

It's funny you mention working in a Clinical Background, I worked in the NHS for over 30 years and knew a well dressed lady called Balrajeet, we all knew her as Bal..................funny how things come back to mind.

[bramble]

Do you not think shoe bags might be on the small size.
What about the black plastic type?
You know I have a spare bit of wall and lots of strawberries with the potential for plenty of runners, so might give a try.
Any more brain waves you can run them by me.

[gardening_gal]

I've only had the idea for about a half hour & have already given up on it............................instead, I'm gonna look into growing a wall of them in shoe bags. Starting with one plant in each top pocket & working down with the runners.............

Something on these lines:

I did that this year BM. After a couple of months it became clear that although they were growing, they were also kept pretty stunted.

I transferred most of them into individual tubs and they were a lot happier. I left a few in the shoe bag just to compare and on average, when the strawbs formed there were maybe 4 strawberries per plant compared to double that with the tub ones.

I'm keeping mine just to hold the runners once they are cut off the tub plants and they are still small.

Of course perhaps the type of strawberry has something to do with the results. I expect the little (Alpine?) ones might be better. I have no idea what mine are as they were got from freecycle.

[lottie dolly]

make your own bags and planters to suit,buy one of them plastic woven tarps,cut up and sew together,make and attach handles where and if needed out the same stuff,the other year i made some bags to but dirty boots in,have got a few not used,i now use them for shopping,very handy for anything,your mind will find uses for the sheet,hem it and you got a thing to drag round the lawn to but weeds in carry on thinking,do we need a new thread,